New Industry Products

LTC Announces LT1936 PWM DC-DC Converter

April 18, 2005 by Jeff Shepard

Linear Technology Corp. (LTC, Milpitas, CA) announced its new LT1936, a current-mode, pulse-width modulated, step-down dc-dc converter with an internal 1.9 A power switch, packaged in an eight-lead, thermally enhanced MSOP package. Its wide input range of 3.6 V to 36 V makes the LT1936 suitable for regulating power from a wide variety of sources, including unregulated wall transformers, 24 V industrial supplies and automotive batteries.

For automotive applications, the device can easily operate with sub 4 V inputs, which is required for automotive "cold-crank" conditions. Its 500 kHz operating frequency allows the use of low-cost inductors and ceramic capacitors, resulting in low, predictable output ripple.

The LT1936’s low VCESAT (410 mV at 1.2 A) internal switch ensures efficiencies as high as 88%, maximizing battery run time. Cycle-by-cycle current limit provides protection against shorted outputs, and soft-start eliminates input current surge during startup. A low current (<2 µA) shutdown mode provides easy power management in battery-powered systems.

The LT1936EMS8E is available from stock in a thermally enhanced MSOP-10 package. A higher temperature grade I version, the LT1936IMS8E, is also available from stock. Pricing starts at $2.85 each and $3.42 each, respectively, for 1,000-piece quantities.